September, 1948. The Iron Curtain has descended. Behind it is the woman he loves.

The Berlin Blockade has begun and Soviet aggression threatens to ignite a new conflict. Now based in the besieged German city, Auguste Duchene finds himself part of a Cold War that is on the brink of turning hot. Working for the Allies to lure Soviet spies to defect, he's made an enemy of the Russians, who are drawing a net tightly around him. Meanwhile, Duchene's estranged wife, Sabine, finds herself under threat in Moscow. With her belief in the communist cause increasingly challenged, her past actions come back to haunt her as Stalin's agents wield their absolute power in a bid to expose her.

With its compelling portrayal of a paranoia-ridden Moscow and blockaded Berlin, The Moscow Defector sees Duchene and Sabine, torn apart by opposing ideologies, risk their lives to try to save one another. Evocative, gripping and full of twists, this taut thriller asks if lovers can reunite against an all-powerful regime.

The Moscow Defector
by A. W. Hammond

Books

The Berlin
Traitor

In this fast-paced thriller Auguste Duchene finds himself in post-war Berlin, involved in the hunt for a Nazi war criminal and relying on his wits to survive the beginnings of the Cold War.

July, 1945. The war in Europe is finallyover. But Auguste Duchene, who survived occupied Paris at great personal cost, cannot escape his past. He finds himself helping the Allies to pursue a Gestapo war criminal through the ravaged and dangerous streets of Berlin. Duchene soon learns, however, that, although one global conflict may have ended, another is beginning, and he is in a deadly race against the Russians as they hunt the same man. And, once again, at the heart of all he does, are his extraordinarywife Sabine and his beloved daughter Marienne.

With its vivid evocation of the post-war hardship and desperation of Germany's capital, The Berlin Traitor pits a man of principle, who hates war and all it stands for, against relentless nationalism and self-interest. Tense, terrifying and compelling, full of twists and turns, this riveting page-turner is a worthy successor to The Paris Collaborator.

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The Paris Collaborator

‘You think we’re not in this
together? How are you not “one of us”, Monsieur Duchene?’

August, 1944. In German-occupied Paris, former schoolteacher Auguste Duchene has stumbled upon an unusual way to survive: he finds missing people. When he’s approached by members of the French Resistance to locate a missing priest – and a cache of stolen weapons – Duchene initially refuses. But the Resistance offer him no choice. Within hours, he’s also blackmailed by a powerful Nazi into searching for a German soldier who’s suspected of deserting.

To fail at either task will have deadly consequences for Duchene – and for his daughter Marienne.

So begins a frantic race against time. As forces close in on Paris, Duchene has only 48 hours to locate the missing priest and soldier, or lose the only person he loves ...

'Hammond artfully constructs this historical thriller within a paranoid and desperate city, creating plenty of twist and tension.'
- The Sydney Morning Herald

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The Unbroken
Line

When defence lawyer Will Harris is attacked by masked men with a clear message to back off, he has no choice but to listen. If only he knew what they were talking about.

Under siege as his fledgling law firm struggles to get off the ground, Will agrees to defend the troubled son of a family friend. But the case is far from clear-cut, and the ethical boundaries murky. Instead of clawing his way out of trouble, Will finds he's sinking ever deeper.

At the same time, his search for his attackers unearths an unexpected source that points him towards Melbourne's corridors of power. But motives, let alone proofs, are hard to find. It is only when those close to him are threatened that Will realises how near he is to the deadly truth.

"Fans of Lee Child, John Grisham and Matthew Reilly will find much to love."
- Herald-Sun

"This rollicking legal story flies along at breakneck speed."
– The Daily Telegraph

"A racy read with well-chosen prose and an interesting plot that hooks the reader from the start"
– Weekly Times

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Blood
Witness

One man's search for justice and redemption plunges him into the violent world of Melbourne's underbelly.

Melbourne Defence lawyer Will Harris is reluctantly drawn into a bizarre murder trial. A terminally ill man claims to have witnessed the brutal crime – in a vision.

But the looming trial is more than just a media circus: it's Will's first big case since the tragic death of his fiancée.

With pressure mounting, Will's loyalties are split when his fiancée's sister is charged with drug trafficking.

The strain of balancing both cases takes its toll and Will finds himself torn between following the law and seeking justice.

Shortlisted: 2014 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel: “A gripping legal thriller, Blood Witness is original and tightly written."

"a slick, fast-paced legal thriller"
– The West Australian

"Fast paced and gripping"
– The Courier Mail

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About

A.W. Hammond was born in South Africa and emigrated to Australia as a child. He graduated with an Arts/Law degree from the University of Melbourne. He currently works for RMIT University and lives in Naarm/Melbourne with his wife and two daughters.

The Moscow Defector is the conclusion to the August Duchene series that includes The Paris Collaborator and The Berlin Traitor. He has also published two other books under the name Alex Hammond. His debut Blood Witness was shortlisted for the 2014 Ned Kelly Award for Best First Crime Novel. Its sequel, The Unbroken Line, was described as "a taut and intelligent thriller." Both were optioned as a TV series. Each novel was also selected to be part of the State Library of Victoria's Summer Read where Alex toured Victoria on behalf of the Library.

Alex has presented workshops and spoken about writing at the Emerging Writers Festival, Writers Victoria, Stonnington Literary Festival, Monash Literary Festival, State Library of Victoria, NSW Writers' Centre, Casey Winter Arts Festival, City of Yarra and Melton City Council.

Alex also writes screenplays.

Media and promotional images can be found here.

Contact

I acknowledge the Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung people of the Eastern Kulin nations as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I write and acknowledge and pay respect to their Elders, past, present and emerging. Always was, always will be Aboriginal land.

The Moscow Defector by A. W. Hammond